Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) urged traditional leaders in Kano state to double effort in the fight against Gender Based Violence, especially in rural areas where some customs violates the human rights of women, young girls and boys.

The statement came from Buhari Abba as he led CITAD’s delegation to the palace of Emir of Gaya, His Highness, Alhaji (Dr) Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulkadir, in his palace on Monday.

Buhari Abba said CITAD with support from Ford Foundation recently conducted a survey in 22 local government areas in Kano State on violence against women and children and the results showed that the practice is on the rise. According to him, this negative outcome calls for deep involvement of the royal fathers across the state to curtail further happenings.

On his part the Emir of Gaya, His highness Alhaji (Dr) Aliyu Ibrahim Abdulkadir commended CITAD for its intervention in the fight against violence against women in the state saying that traditional rulers will continue to support this herculeen effort.

The Emir condemned all forms of violent practices against women and girls in the State, vowing to bring such to end.

He also assured that, his council will redouble its efforts to ensure violence against women, all forms of gender discrimination and harmful traditional practices come to an end in his emirate.

He added that everyone should understand that violence against women and girls is unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated.

Dr. Aliyu Ibrahim then called for collective efforts from authorities, including NGOs, to tackle violence and other social vices plaguing women and children in Kano state.

Mr Isah Garba, Senior Programme Manager, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) in Bauchi has said that the level of involvement of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in procurement process in the state is very low in the state.

Garba stated this in a one-day Town Hall Meeting between CITAD, Civil Society Organisations, Journalists, Public officers from the state public procurement unit, on Public Procurement and Fiscal Responsibility Laws.

He added that this had negatively impacted on the level of awareness by the people especially, in the rural areas about procurement process in the state.

According to him, the essence of the town hall meeting was to see how all the participants can come together and address issues of the procurement system of Bauchi state.

“The next important document in any democratic society is the budgetary and the budget document of the state after the constitution.

“And the budget document of any state can not be effectively implemented without the procurement process. Yet, civil societies are engaging citizens of government in the budgetary process, however, our level of engagement in the procurement process is very low.

“Civil societies are also the elites of the societies but in this case the civil societies are not fully as expected engaging the common man in the grassroots to understand that procurement process and see how he can contribute his own quota towards strengthening the process to ensure accountability, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness”. He said.

The Senior Programme Manager, however, charged journalists and every participants present to embark on massive sensitisation of the people in the rural areas on public procurement process.

He explained that the high level of ignorance of these people is the real cause of lapses in the procurement process and implementation in the state.

“Journalists should always report issues on procurement. Our media houses should please amplify and disseminate any information given to them or at their disposal on public procurement process in the state”. He pleaded.

By POLYCARP AUTA

Bauchi- An NGO, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has begun a two-day training for 20 journalists on anti-corruption reporting in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event on Monday in Bauchi, the Executive Director of CITAD,  Zakari Ya’u, said that the training supported by the MacArthur Foundation, drew participants from the 19 northern states of the country.

He said that the exercise was aimed at exposing media practitioners to the menace of the high level of corruption in Nigeria

Ya’u pointed out that the training would guide participants on how to create a deeper public awareness on the evil of corruption through their reportage.

According to executive director,  the training will further expose reporters to some of the tools that can be used in researching and reporting corruption issues in the country.

”You will all agree with me that corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society, and if we don’t act fast to kill it, it will kill us.

”However, we can’t kill it by mere talks; unless Nigerians come together in unison to fight the menace.

”So, this workshop is to expose and equip participants, who are generally reporters with the requisite knowledge in order to create the awareness that will excite Nigerians to be ready to fight the menace.

”We are here to  work together by sharing knowledge and fashion out ways that would deepen research and report corruption cases that would stimulate Nigerians to want to kick out the hydra-headed monster,” he said.

Ya’u also disclosed that some of the participants would be given mini grants by the organisation in order to investigate corruption cases at various levels.(NAN)

Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has organized a two day workshop to some journalists that work in different media outlets on compiling reports on corrupt practices, investigative report and other multimedia skills.

The two-day workshop held on Monday 23 – Tuesday 24 of May, 2022 at Pali Suit in Bauchi state, was orchestrated to change the narration on the current issues of alleged corrupt practices by some public office holders in Nigeria, through investigative journalism.

Addressing the participants, the Director of CITAD, who spoke on the effects of fake news and how it can be dealt with, said the workshop will equip and encourage journalists on developing story ideas on human angle and general development journalism.

He explained that with the emergence of social media, the entire world has become a global village where people can easily showcase their talents in exposing the truth about any hazy event, through the use of social platforms.

Mr Buhari Abba, the moderator of the sessions, urged the participants to make the training workable and use the knowledge they have gotten to develop good stories on corruption at all levels.

The workshop mainly revolved around “researching and reporting about accountability and anti-corruption issues” in Nigeria.